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By Jack Oren Jackman

With education and technology intertwined more than ever before, edtech conferences become prevalent everywhere and anytime. Whether you are an educator, an entrepreneur, an investor or a student, there’s something out there for everybody. A little more than something - there’s an overwhelming abundance of summits and conferences, which makes it hard to choose where to go and what to expect.

Since we know first hand that it is hard to decide which are the best EdTech conferences to attend to, specially because there are so many interesting options and some of them

happen on the same time, we decided to create a quick guide to picking the right conference to match your goals and field of interest. Found something you like? Just go to their website and learn more about the location, participants and the costs. Most conferences have special discounts for educators and entrepreneurs, and some are willing to waive the cost altogether if you fit a certain criteria.​From our experience, contacting the producers can save you up to thousands of dollars, and sometimes even provide you with some extra benefits, like we did in ASU GVS, where we got to pitch and even got a presentation table just because we asked to (disclaimer: ASU GSV voted examPAL as ‘amongst the 100 most important Venture/Growth stage companies in the broader learning & talent technology landscape’, so we must’ve caught their attention).

Another great idea - if you’re an entrepreneur or just an educator with a great idea on how to change the world (of education) - is to register for contests in the conferences you intend to go to. In just 4 months we won Google’s award at the DLD innovation festival in Tel Aviv, Reimagine Education European bronze in Philadelphia and LearnLaunch higher-ed award in Boston, and we’re in the SXSW finals this March in Austin. Not only did we receive abundance of global exposure, free PR and many partnership options, it saved us a lot of money on admission fees, presentation booths and other expenses.

So here’s the list with the most important edtech conferences taking place this year, divided into four main categories, according to their main focus:

Business-oriented conferences that bring together entrepreneurs and investors to discuss potential partnerships, investments and opportunities. The best places to get your startup the growth boost in needs.BETT Europe -The largest European edtech tradeshow (over 35,000 visitors). January 24-27, London, UK.LearnLaunch -Digital learning entrepreneurs, investors, admins. Well connected to Boston’s higher-ed ecosystem. February 1-2, Boston, MA, US.SXSWedu - A true edtech festival. March 5-8, Austin, TX, US.ASU+GSV - The most important edtech event in North America, attracting global companies, startups and investors from all around the globe. April 16-18, San Diego, CA, US.BETT Middle East - The Middle-Eastern little sister of the British edtech tradeshow. April 23-24, Abu Dhabi, UAE.Connect - Canada’s largest edtech conference, from K-12 to higher-ed. April 24-27, Ontario, Canada.Milken-Penn GSE - A rare kind of competition: an education-business plan competition. May 1, Philadelphia, PA, US.BETT Brasil Educar - The largest edtech summit and tradeshow in Latin America. May 8-11, São Paulo, Brazil.EdTechXEurope - The place for European entrepreneurs to find partnerships and investors. June 19, London, UK.BETT Asia - A smaller edtech gathering than the British and Brazilian BETTs - far less global. November 19-20, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Community-oriented conferences focused on very specific needs of communities within the learning space. Great benefit if you’re part of the specific community, and a complete waste of time if you’re not.

With conferences throughout the year, on any aspect of the innovative places where education and technology meet, and with admission costs ranging from free to a few thousands of dollars, all that’s left to click on the conference’s name and find the best place for you to attend. Good luck!

Jack has 22 years' experience in the field of test prep - teaching over 4,000 students, writing dozens of books, courseware and course plans, and managing content teams. He is CEO and co-founder at examPAL, an online test prep solution that uses AI to personalize every aspect of the course.